Comments on: Signal vs Noise in the Attention Economy http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/ Jeremiah Owyang discusses how web tools and social media enable companies to connect with customers Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:46:21 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mario Vellandi http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-1145048 Mario Vellandi Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:50:53 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-1145048 The perceptual degree of information overload is relative to the individual. I suppose many individuals, including myself, have entertained the availability of such customized info sources with much enthusiasm. Productivity losses may occur, and reading itself may have become less pleasurable if more time is spent scanning for interesting topics.<br>Let's also ask ourselves importantly, how much is the individual retaining? What is of value v. 'nice-to-know' v. novel? Is that for personal or career benefit?<br><br>Man is responsible for his own actions. Discipline is his sword and belt. Values are his drivers. The perceptual degree of information overload is relative to the individual. I suppose many individuals, including myself, have entertained the availability of such customized info sources with much enthusiasm. Productivity losses may occur, and reading itself may have become less pleasurable if more time is spent scanning for interesting topics.
Let's also ask ourselves importantly, how much is the individual retaining? What is of value v. 'nice-to-know' v. novel? Is that for personal or career benefit?

Man is responsible for his own actions. Discipline is his sword and belt. Values are his drivers.

]]> By: Matt Herzberger.com » Blog Archive » Signal vs noise http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-445785 Matt Herzberger.com » Blog Archive » Signal vs noise Wed, 07 May 2008 13:59:51 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-445785 [...] I have been thinking about a lot lately. The web with the transformation of web 2.0 has become a attention economy. The strive for the 15 mins of web fame. I have started to reach a point of information overload in [...]

[...] I have been thinking about a lot lately. The web with the transformation of web 2.0 has become a attention economy. The strive for the 15 mins of web fame. I have started to reach a point of information overload in [...]

]]> By: ihero http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-80205 ihero Tue, 14 Aug 2007 23:23:17 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-80205 unfortunately we are still being "jammed" by the mainstream media. I constantly have to adjust my "gain control" so that I can demodulate "my" signal. unfortunately we are still being “jammed” by the mainstream media.
I constantly have to adjust my “gain control” so that I can demodulate “my” signal.

]]> By: Look What I Found on 08/11/07 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-78104 Look What I Found on 08/11/07 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:36:29 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-78104 [...] Signal vs Noise in the Attention Economy (tags: web2.0 media) [...]

[...] Signal vs Noise in the Attention Economy (tags: web2.0 media) [...]

]]> By: Mario Vellandi http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77497 Mario Vellandi Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:39:39 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77497 Attachment and continuous thirst create suffering. If it's not valuable to work, then seriously consider chopping it unless it's a serious hobby or interest. Family and personal health are more important than all else. If there's something you want to expand your knowledge in, you don't have to feel upset that you don't have time to learn. Instead, prioritize what specialty subject/field is more important for you to learn now, and then place the additional subjects in a time slot for the future. Secondly, seek out people who are specialists/mavens in the fields you find of strategic importance for your career, or personal interest...then approach them when their knowledge/assistance is of timely importance to you. This is all basic stuff, but nonetheless we all can forget about...and occasionally need to remind ourselves of. Attachment and continuous thirst create suffering.
If it’s not valuable to work, then seriously consider chopping it unless it’s a serious hobby or interest. Family and personal health are more important than all else. If there’s something you want to expand your knowledge in, you don’t have to feel upset that you don’t have time to learn. Instead, prioritize what specialty subject/field is more important for you to learn now, and then place the additional subjects in a time slot for the future. Secondly, seek out people who are specialists/mavens in the fields you find of strategic importance for your career, or personal interest…then approach them when their knowledge/assistance is of timely importance to you. This is all basic stuff, but nonetheless we all can forget about…and occasionally need to remind ourselves of.

]]> By: Chris Perrin http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77411 Chris Perrin Sat, 11 Aug 2007 05:04:10 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77411 Shel is missing one critical point that Steve addresses. There are starting to be far too many inputs for information. Within one of my hobbies, gaming, which is a small niche hobby I have 30+ podcasts in my podcatcher. And that's just for gaming. That does not include my other interests (of which I have several) or the podcasts I should listen to for work. Or the blogs I need to read. Or the white papers or video blogs or sleep. What Shel seems to miss is that information overload is more than just "I care about this, so it's gold, I don't care about that it's crap." I am being forced to make decisions within the gold as to where I am going to devote my time. And this decision comes with it an opportunity cost and, in some cases, guilt. That, ultimately, may lead to me shutting down as the opportunity cost and cognitive dissonance becomes so great I would rather not deal with the inputs at all. Shel is missing one critical point that Steve addresses. There are starting to be far too many inputs for information. Within one of my hobbies, gaming, which is a small niche hobby I have 30+ podcasts in my podcatcher. And that’s just for gaming. That does not include my other interests (of which I have several) or the podcasts I should listen to for work. Or the blogs I need to read. Or the white papers or video blogs or sleep.

What Shel seems to miss is that information overload is more than just “I care about this, so it’s gold, I don’t care about that it’s crap.” I am being forced to make decisions within the gold as to where I am going to devote my time. And this decision comes with it an opportunity cost and, in some cases, guilt. That, ultimately, may lead to me shutting down as the opportunity cost and cognitive dissonance becomes so great I would rather not deal with the inputs at all.

]]> By: Mario Vellandi http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77204 Mario Vellandi Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:32:46 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77204 The perceptual degree of information overload is relative to the individual. I suppose many individuals, including myself, have entertained the availability of such customized info sources with much enthusiasm. Productivity losses may occur, and reading itself may have become less pleasurable if more time is spent scanning for interesting topics. Let's also ask ourselves importantly, how much is the individual retaining? What is of value v. 'nice-to-know' v. novel? Is that for personal or career benefit? Man is responsible for his own actions. Discipline is his sword and belt. Values are his drivers. The perceptual degree of information overload is relative to the individual. I suppose many individuals, including myself, have entertained the availability of such customized info sources with much enthusiasm. Productivity losses may occur, and reading itself may have become less pleasurable if more time is spent scanning for interesting topics.
Let’s also ask ourselves importantly, how much is the individual retaining? What is of value v. ‘nice-to-know’ v. novel? Is that for personal or career benefit?

Man is responsible for his own actions. Discipline is his sword and belt. Values are his drivers.

]]> By: Damon Billian http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77187 Damon Billian Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:44:51 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77187 Hi Jeremiah, I think the main thing people have to do is decide which information points are important to them (I do think we're hitting information overload to some degree, as too much information can also lead to a decrease in real productivity). For me: I use Facebook. I use LinkedIn. I use/read blogs. I don't use Pownce. I don't use Twitter (largely due to the noise ratio I've witnessed; some folks dominate the total number of tweets placed). I rarely use AIM of any sort. I think the real danger is that there's the issue of quality of content vs. quantity of content. Hi Jeremiah,

I think the main thing people have to do is decide which information points are important to them (I do think we’re hitting information overload to some degree, as too much information can also lead to a decrease in real productivity).

For me:
I use Facebook.
I use LinkedIn.
I use/read blogs.
I don’t use Pownce.
I don’t use Twitter (largely due to the noise ratio I’ve witnessed; some folks dominate the total number of tweets placed).
I rarely use AIM of any sort.

I think the real danger is that there’s the issue of quality of content vs. quantity of content.

]]> By: jeremiah_owyang http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77143 jeremiah_owyang Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:28:26 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77143 Donna Thank you, I'm glad to help filter info for you Also consider subscribing to Robert Scoble's Shared feed. Donna Thank you, I’m glad to help filter info for you

Also consider subscribing to Robert Scoble’s Shared feed.

]]> By: Donna Papacosta http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-77134 Donna Papacosta Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:53:46 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/08/10/signal-vs-noise-in-the-attention-economy/#comment-77134 I like the way you have synthesized these points. Yes, we do seem to have many many sources of information competing for our attention. I find myself increasingly relying on particular bloggers (like YOU and Shel and Rubel)and podcasters(Shel in particular) to filter information for me. I would rather read 20 smart blogs than 100 raw feeds of information that may or may not be of interest to me. Is this a lazy approach? I'm not sure what else to do when there are only so many hours in a day, and client work must come first. I like the way you have synthesized these points. Yes, we do seem to have many many sources of information competing for our attention. I find myself increasingly relying on particular bloggers (like YOU and Shel and Rubel)and podcasters(Shel in particular) to filter information for me. I would rather read 20 smart blogs than 100 raw feeds of information that may or may not be of interest to me. Is this a lazy approach? I’m not sure what else to do when there are only so many hours in a day, and client work must come first.

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